Reassurance
by SomecallmeMichelle
Summary: After yet another fight with her father, Max turns to her best friend for comfort. Friendship fic, with fluff, Terry and Max, not romance.


"Maxie…"

"No!" - She half yelled, only to immediately regret it. The truth was, Maxie (or Max as she was known to her friends, of which Terry, the one talking, was one), didn't lose her cool very often. She considered herself rational, clear thinking, clear headed, smart, defined. It was obvious she didn't succumb to emotions, and to anyone who didn't see it? Well they were the ones with the problem, not Maxine Gibson.

Terry extended one of his hands tentatively, half afraid of what reaction his simple motion would bring He was aware she needed his support, but he had never been the best at the whole emotional support thing. Chalk it up to being a guy (and he groaned at that, certain that if he ever voiced those thoughts out loud in a different context when Maxie wasn't in pain, he'd get a lecture…), but it was true; even with the sensitivity learned from his night-time job working with the occasional sensitive cases such as the Terrific Trio, he wasn't too in touch with his inner feelings. No, he was mostly a man of action.

And sleep. He let out a small smile at his joke. He had been falling asleep more and more as time went on, and it was no mystery as to why. The workout regime provided by his employer, Mr. Wayne (or Bruce, as he didn't dare call him, at least not often to his face) tired him out, not to mention the 'job' itself.

His arm moved out, nearing Maxie's brown face. She looked awful. She had been crying, and it was clear that she hadn't slept, at least that night. Her eyes were puffy and red, and, as cliché as it was, Terry felt a surge of protectiveness wash over him.

He didn't dare touch her, at least not directly. His fingers hovered inches from his face, her eyes side-glancing pitifully. Her previous surge of rage seemed to have passed, for she now didn't yell at him for his closeness, but looked on bashful and ashamed.

Terry looked at her worriedly. That was NOT the Max he knew. The Max he knew would likely yell at him some more for spending time even looking at her and tell him to get a life. Or not, they were friends after all. But she would certainly not look at him like she had wronged him in any way.

"I...I'm sorry I yelled at you…" - Max half mumbled as she shielded her eyes away from what she was sure was the intense stare Terry had developed over the last few months. His night activities had trained him to have a stare that could scare the most hardened criminal. Her side glances, however, left her surprised. He was instead looking at her with a softened look, the look of a worried friend.

Oh…Terry realised. So that was what this was all about? Her having yelled at him? When he had entered the building worried about her, he hadn't expected her to react any other way. It was in one of those case profile dossiers Bruce had had him read. She had reacted according to guidelines, according to what was expected of a human being. Those were predictable.

Then again, he was helping a seemingly hurt friend. Bruce was more cynical, but when had the old man not been cynical about something? Had he ever truly trusted someone? Terry didn't know.

But he had no time for those thoughts now, he had to try and help his friend right now.

"It's no problem." - Good looking smile, a smile he hoped to be reassuring, and a hand over one of her arms, touching it slightly as if to keep the warmth between them. He hoped she didn't recoil. That would mean some bad stuff had went down into her life before, stuff he wasn't prepared to deal with and hadn't had a clue about. Though he could try.

Max's eyes danced through her skull as she looked at the point of contact, unsure of herself. Her lips met, thinning themselves as they did so.

"Now tell me...what happened?" - Terry's voice was calm, yet firm. Reassuring in a way. It was not the voice he used at night. It was the voice he had used on his little brother when things tended to go south once or twice in their life. It was what he called his "mature voice". It was appropriate enough, though he knew Maxie would be able to see right through it if she only tried. She was smart enough, and he was nervous she would react badly at it.

"It's my dad again…" - Max sighed, she gently brushed one of her legs against one of Terry's own, finding comfort in the gesture. Some of her nails dug into her other hand's palm, almost unconsciously. She felt uncomfortable amidst her storytelling, yet, at the same time, she knew Terry was probably the one person she was comfortable enough telling it to. - "He's been such a huge…" - She searched for an expletive that wasn't a complete insult to the man who had brought her life. All the while Terry took his time looking at her and urging her to calm herself down. - "It's complicated, you know? It's just… Nah, nevermind..."

Terry shook his head. Maxie was trying to close herself again. He couldn't allow her to do that. He wanted what was best for her. This was going to hurt them both, but he was going to have to bring a fact from their past to the conversation.

"Max…" - He couldn't back down now, he had to be firm with her. - "I know what you're going through, It's what you crave...normalcy, right? It's like a drug… Addicting, in fact…"

He didn't need to remind her. They both remembered when she had been addicted to the illusion, the sweet illusion of when she had been loved by both her parents and they had been together. In the end it had been just that: an illusion, a very dangerous illusion that Terry had rescued her from. She still cursed him for it sometimes.

Small trickles of tears forced themselves from her eyes. She felt silly because of them. She knew it to be an arse thing to feel that way when Terry didn't even have a father, him having been murdered. Violence was rampant in Gotham (or as it was known, Neo-Gotham amongst the youngsters), she should be glad to have a dad who cared enough for her safety, right?

She still felt that a complete family, one where she could be loved would be best...but how could she have any hope to explain that to anyone? Least of all Terry, Terry who…stood over there and patted her shoulder reassuringly and had the most awkward look on his face she had ever seen.

"He's always trying to get me to admit my mum's wrong and I don't know, I mean, I barely see her and I know I should be grateful to him for taking care of me, but it's like he never got over her, and it's been what? 15 years? And I'm sorry, it's just…" - Max just took over the pats of the shoulder reassuringly and smiled at Terry, who took in the smile, as if it was one of the countless treasures he defended every night.

"There...there...it's going to be alright?" - It came more as a question that as a statement of fact. The truth was, Terry couldn't promise her it would be alright, because he himself didn't know if it would be. And lying wasn't something he could do. Well, technically he lied to his girlfriend everyday (or omitted facts which could very well be worse), but he wasn't a liar. Not to Maxie anyway.

"Thanks...I know it will." - Maxie pushed her figure against Terry. Luckily Terry had the strength to hold her. They briefly hugged.

They stared into each other eyes, unsure of what exactly to say to one another. Max was incredible grateful to Terry for the support he had provided. Even if it had been just a friendly shoulder to cry on. While Terry just didn't have anything else to add…

"Hum...shouldn't you be getting ready for your "job"?" - She placed special emphasis on job, to indicate their special little secret that they both knew about.

Terry thought back to the old man, Mr Wayne and all the job requirements that his job entailed. He hadn't gotten the sleep he needed, again. He cursed his luck. But he felt much better knowing he had helped his friend, his _best_ friend, than knocking some "z's"

"I'll smooth things over with Dana, you keep things safe." - Max wiped her face more, trying to again put on her rational mask. She did, at least, feel better. Terry was such a good friend.

"Sure." - Terry smirked, then gave her another shoulder hug. "Just… Let me know again if you need more support…?"

"Sure thing, hero."

 **Author's Notes: This text was kindly pre read (and edited!) by Neo The Sayan Angel, so any credit to any semblance of quality to this text goes to her. She improved it tenfold. Trust me people, It is the truth.**


End file.
